Warren, Carlisle hurting

Aside from the continuing saga of coach Lane Kiffin, the most significant news had to do with injuries which could cost the Raiders two starters for their game against the San Diego Chargers Sunday at the Coliseum.

Defensive tackle Gerard Warren, who has been Oakland’s most dominant interior defender, has a torn pectoral muscle (it was originally identifed as a neck injury against the Bills). Right guard Cooper Carlisle, who left the game against the Bills and returned, has an ankle injury and may not practice this week.

While most coaches do their best to mask the seriousness of injuries, here is what Kiffin said regarding the Raiders two injured players.

Regarding Warren: “That could be a serious issue for us.”

Regarding Carlisle: “It’s bad.”

Not coincidentally, with Warren out of the game, the Raiders faded down the stretch against the Bills. That leaves Tommy Kelly and Terdell Sands as the two remaining tackles. Kiffin also counts Fred Wakefield as a third tackle, but in reality Wakefield is a tight end/offensive lineman/defensive end who only recently began playing tackle.

The Raiders can also move Jay Richardson inside.

If Warren’s injury is for the longterm, the Raiders will be on the lookout for available tackles. It is doubtful anyone could be brought in this week to have an impact.

Carlisle was replaced in the lineup by Chris Morris, who would assume the starting role if Carlisle can’t play. The Raiders prefer to use Paul McQuistan exclusively on the left side.

(Correction: McQuistan, of course, is on injured reserve and out for the year. Brainlock after nine hours of travel headed home from Buffalo . . . thanks to those who pointed out the error)

Another injury of note belongs to Derrick Burgess, who has having an MRI for an triceps injury. Kiffin said it is conceivable Justin Fargas could rest another week, giving him two more weeks, including the bye, before returning to action.

Missed the locker room session while returning from Buffalo, making it just in time for Kiffin’s press briefing _ where the surprise guest was none other than Lane Kiffin.

Some quick hits:

— If the Raiders hope to get Kiffin to resign, it sounds as if they’re wasting their time.

“There’s no way I’m quitting, and that’s got nothing to do with money, at all,” Kiffin said. “That has to do with our players. I talked a lot of these players into coming here at some point – obviously, money has a lot to do with that – in free agency over the last two years. A lot of our coaches, I recruited them and their families to come here and build this thing together. So the last thing I’m ever gonna do is quit, the way that you guys are talking about quitting or even quit behind closed doors, as far as my energy or my passion towards getting this thing turned around.

“Because I believe we can turn this thing around. And there’s a lot of good things going the right direction, and I think we’re gonna turn it around.”

— Kiffin said he hasn’t spoken to Al Davis since before the Denver game and doesn’t feel it is his place to walk into his office and ask for a definitive statement one way or the other.

“There’s so many things to worry about running an NFL team and keeping this team together and coaching it, and our staff, that I’m not about to tell Al how he should be handling this situation,” Kiffin said. “He’s been doing this for a long time, has had great success in the league for a long time. I’ve got enough things to worry about, so I don’t need to worry about telling him how he should handle it. He’ll do what he feels in the best interest of our team, I’m sure.”

That was almost a compliment. He even called him “Al” instead of “the owner.”

— For those keeping score, ESPN and Fox Sports had Kiffin fired as soon as today, the NFL Network said Kiffin would make it through today but that Tuesday is a possibility.

— The bitter end against the Bills failed to serve as some sort of revelation that the Raiders ought to open things up offensively.

In fact, Kiffin sounds as stubborn as ever.

He talked about playing to position punter Shane Lechler in the fourth quarter and conceded, “It’s very foreign to me. That’s not the way I would want to manage a game. But it is where we’re at right now. And there’s no doubt in my opinion managing the game that way with the way we were playing gave us the best chance to win.”

— Linebacker Thomas Howard told reporters in the locker room Kiffin came to the back of the plane to talk over the game with Nnamdi Asomugha and Kirk Morrison.

— Kiffin said he expected everyone to be hurting with the end result.

“If you’re feeling good about yourself in this organization after that, then you’re not our type of guy,’’ Kiffin said. “Every person should be feeling they could have done something better. I know that’s the way I feel.’’

But he also found the silver lining in the black cloud in stepping up against a difficult opponent on the road.

“I compare that to last year, basically two similar situations where we went on the road, long trips, and that was Green Bay and Jacksonville, two playoff teams that we had to go on the road and play them in a tough environment, and we got handled pretty well,” Kiffin said. “As opposed to yesterday, where we outplayed them, we’re up by two scores with six minutes left. Once again, no one is pleased with the outcome or the way we finished. There are no moral victories, but I do like the direction that we’re going.”

— Kiffin credited Buffalo with speeding up the tempo on the Raiders defense with a “hurry-up, sperad out” situation and cited missed tackles as a culprit in the eventual demise.

If you’re looking for him to say they should have been blitzing . . . sorry. Kiffin said he leaves the defense to Rob Ryan but didn’t seem to have a problem with the strategy.

“Naturally you’re gonna be more conservative on defense in that situation, up by two scores, you’re gonna feel better about letting them complete five-yard passes and making a tackle,” Kiffin said. “And all of a sudden you miss a couple of those tackles and they go for 15, 20 yards now, where before you’re trying not to let ’em get a five-yard completion. That happens a lot of times, and it happened in that game. And unfortunately, it happened fast.”

— Running back Darren McFadden said again he was unaffected by the turf toe injury against Buffalo _ he slipped at least four times _ but Kiffin ins’t so sure.

“Hardly anybody else had any issues with it but him so I’d be surprised if it wasn’t having to do with his toe,” Kiffin said.

“From what I saw on the film Gibril deserved to be thrown out. He clearly punched the guy. I don’t know what happened before that because you can’t see it on the film. I’d love to protect him in this situation but there’s no reason for that,” Kiffin said. “No matter what’s happened before there’s
no reason for that and it hurt us. It hurt us with field position and it hurt us by not having him in there. We’re playing Branch, a rookie, instead of a guy who’s one of the highest paid guys and one of the keaders of our defense. I don’t like the decision that he made. I’m sure
Gibril regrets it as well.”

Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

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Kiffin even said he agreed with Ryan’s call on the zone defense. He was willing to give up 5 yard completions and make a tackle, but a few missed tackles and the plays turned into 15 and 20 yard plays.

This even shows how stupid Kiffin can be. 2 five yard completions equal a first down. First downs mean the other team is still moving the ball.

They went 96 yards dinking and dunking on the Raiders soft zone D. This is what gassed the defense.

R8R4FER

How are the Raiders going to score or stop the Chargers from scoring to keep it close this week ? That is going to be hard enough without the pissing contest thats going on right now.

Old School

Al Bundy Davis is at the same level of ownership as the Rams…………………

He paid a price for players, that can’t play. He is in the spot light when things go good and takes all the credit, but when his decision making goes bad he starts to point the finger at others. Why keep Hall and Ryan around ??

Al Bundy Davis has ripped-off the fans, the tax payers of Oakland. Oakland deserves a better team owner.

Just sell baby…………….and so it is !!

typical raiders

YOUR RIGHT K ROCK AND IM NOT SAYING KIFFIN IS NOT TO BLAME BUT I DNT THINK HE HAS A SAY IN THE OFFENSE R DEFENSIVE PLAYS IN OAKLAND COACHES ARENT ALLOWED TO COACH. ONE MORE THING JOHNIE LEE HIGGINS SHOULD BE BENCHED FOR HIS STUPIDITY WHEN HE SCORED THAT TOUCH DOWN HE ALMOST GOT CAUGHT.

WHERE IS JAVON WHEELCHAIR HE CANT EVEN WALK LET HIM TELL IT

Im Confused

K….
Do you thik Kiffin wants to admit in public that he disapproved of the defense calling? Look at the video of the final drives. He looked pissed as hell and he was looking in Ryans direction. Don’t take the bait on that one. I am sure he was told to back off Ryan and blasting him in the media. Hell maybe Ryan told him,

“Look Kiff, you and I know that I am gonna leave here next year. Lets just get through this year, without bashing my name, I will go into the public and rant and rave like a little byatch to get the pressure off of you, but just keep my name out yo mouf byatch!”

typical raiders

I THINK THE MORE THE RAIDERS PLAY THE MORE KIFFIN LOOKS LIKE HE KNOWS HIS STUFF DURING THE PRESEASON HE SAID THAT HE WASN’T WORRIED ABOUT THE STARTING PLAYERS BUT THE BACK UP PLAYERS WE HAVE LIKE IF JAMARCUS GETS HURT THE ONLY POSTION THAT IS SOLID IS RUNNING BACK AND THATS GETTING THIN, KIFFIN WAS RIGHT WE NEED BETTER PLAYERS ON THE BENCH THAT CAN COME IN AND MAKE A IMPACT

R8R4FER

Get Millen in here asap He did once punch the Pats owners son after a game. Thats the kind of leadership we need around here.

M

Ya know, it occurs to me that if members of the media in general invested one-eighth the amount of effort into uncovering all the crimes and lies of the present U.S. administration as they do trying to dig up dirt on the Raiders, there would be a large number of folks in D.C. and elsewhere on their way from the White House to the Big House for a long long time.

Did you see that video of Tim Kawakami and John Herrera. How I wish I was there and could have punched that little turd in the face for all the lies he has spread about our team over the years.

I wish I knew where that little weasel lived I would punch him for Herrera!!!

Mad Road Dog

Don’t give up the ship men, for we have just begun to fight! Al will be gone soon and hopefully baby kiffin and Ryan sooner.

Los Malosos

We need some DTs! Even before Warren’s injury we only had 3 guys, and Kelly was out of shape coming into the season, and we know Turd Sands is good for 1 maybe even 2 plays per game. Al, Bring in some DTs! no wonder our D is getting gassed at the end of games, we only have 3 dts and one of them sweats lard! jeesh

La Milicia Negra

can somebody please explain this article to me..

contracostatimes.com/raiders/ci_10533705?nclick_check=1

just wince babe, I get it, its a reference to the raider slogan, but where why how ‘wince’?? He doesn’t explain this ever in the text, so the headline looks stupid to me..

lastly, doesn’t he contradict himself a bit?

K-Rock

Not just the present administration. All of the administrations.

Government is dirty. Dems and Pubs. Anyone wanting to get involved in politics has to be dirty from the jump.

Spider

Helllllllo Laaaaaadies! I see the circle jerk session is still going on and on and on. Hey girlz. I really want to apologize for my comment when I said your team was still living in the 70’s. That is slowly changing. Now I recognize that you girlz are wising up and slowly becoming the Broncos west. You copy cats are going to the zone blocking on the offensive line and picking up any Bronco outcast that you can get your hands on. At least you girlz are on the right track for improvement and who knows? Maybe by the next century you’ll be contenders?

K-Rock

LMN…

Any mature person watching the circus the Raiders organization has become would be forced to wince.

Kind of like watching a car wreck

Wishbone

Not defending anyone on this, but Kawakami is notorious for writing BS about the Raiders in the past. This time maybe he is in the right, but a lot of journalist just throw sh*t out there just to see what might stick. Herrera is nothing but another puppet of Al’s just like Rob Ryan. For the good of the team and to salvage this season Kiffin has to go. I like the guy and I think he is a good coach, but he an Al cannot coexist in Raiderland. It has become a huge distraction to the team and its progress. We have a lot of good, young players and I think this is hurting their development. Bottom line is this isn’t a bad football team. It is a horrible organization run by a madman that gets in the way of the team being productive. When Al is finally eliminated from this team (either by removal or death) I believe it will shine again. Best of luck Kiff.

It’s not just people watching this car wreck. Major news outlets are now calling for Kiffin’s head. Washington Post has him on the “chopping block” along with Scott Linehan and Rod Marinelli. At this point maybe he should just resign and save some dignity.

Dakota

You and your smoke pot buddy…

LMFAO!

La Milicia Negra

K-rock..

thanks, that helped me.. as when a kid winces under the desk to hide??

Dakota

The evil dictator has had a stroke! Well, that other evil dictator Kim Jong-il

La Milicia Negra

btw i might go to the game in SD dec 4th..

4 day thingy, USD $2300..

Spider is a Homo

Hey Dakota, I am not even gonna talk shyt. Last week, I told some dude that God was gonna give him a disease and I smashed my finger in the door.

If Kiffin leaves, that is good for the team? In the middle of a season, with a whole new crew of coaches? What of morale of the team if the players and coaches respect Kiffin and are willing to play for him?

Kiffin actually is doing what a leader does. Taken at face value, he is taking care of his people, coaches and players alike, in a difficult situation. He keeps them focused, motivates them, maintains morale, shields them from the stupidity going on in the higher echelon. This is the mark of a good and effective leader. Even in the best-run organizations, there will be stupid politics and a good leader shields his/her people from such stupidity and focus them on the jobs at hand.

The team is actually playing well, unlike Raiders of old. In the old days, if a coach was on the hot seat, we could all see that reflected in team plays. The players took plays off and we would lose ugly. The Bills game was a huge improvement. We came close to winning that game. Even the D managed to fight and claw for close to 50+ minutes. There was focus and good discipline on the field. Why would the players play their hearts out if they were not properly led?

If Kiffin were slacking and causing problems in the locker room and the field, then it will be correct to seek his ouster. Kiffin is doing everything within his power to be an example, control what he can and take care of his people. Davis should be so lucky to have someone like that in his organization.

Davis is really blind now and beyond redemption for letting this festers. He is now showing his complete incompetence for the world to see. I am glad I cancelled my season ticket for this season (for a different reason). An effective leader who cares about an organization (including the fans) would never let personal feelings against one person cause this much problems. Davis is clearly a destructive failed leader.

The ball is in Davis’ court. He can suck it up, pay Kiffin the money and fire him, or can this power-struggle show and let Kiffin finish the season. This sort of stupid self-destructive power play is laughably childish and amateurish.

La Milicia Negra

the result of all this is, whether Kiffin will be fired, let go, leaves on his own or simplye just stays the rest of the season and then is gone.. it all makes me a Kiffin devotee, what ever team NFL, College or High school, I will follow Kiffins teams and root for them.. this doesn’t mean I wont be a raider fan, thats given always a raiderfan.. just not a Al-fan anymore..

So I hope Kiffin wont end up in KC or in Denver.. I can live with him going to Texans..

Watch out LMN, if the Chargers miss the playoffs, Lane could be a candidate for that team to. Especially if we beat them this week.

Dakota

I never noticed before, but I think you are right LMN (#579)!

Wishbone

Suppose Kiffin is let go/fired/walks away and Rob Ryan is hired as head coach. What will the team do when he has to go on maternity leave? He could give birth any day now.

McRaider

At first, I was on the fence about lane staying or going. After hearing his press conference, I am now in full support of Kiffin. IMO, he is learning what to say and what not to say. Also when he talks about the team, he says we, us our. That tell me that he does want to be there and that he is not just going through the motions.

I really wish that he and Al could find a common ground.

Spider

BART Bridge Brigade Says:
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:11 am
Watch out LMN, if the Chargers miss the playoffs, Lane could be a candidate for that team to. Especially if we beat them this week.

That’s a pretty big IF there Bart. Wanna place a bet?

Lane Kiffins Nikes

So are we walking today?

Dakota

Ailene Voisin: Turmoil in the Nation continues to drag on
By Ailene Voisin – avoisin@sacbee.com
Last Updated 9:12 am PDT Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1

ALAMEDA – You can’t make this up. You can’t make this up, because this is all so implausible, it comes from the world of make believe. Then you revisit the topic and the toxicity of the environment – the Raiders at their headquarters – and the craziness of the Monday afternoon media session makes complete sense.

First, this is what did not happen. Al Davis did not fire Lane Kiffin, contrary to earlier reports by ESPN and Fox Sports. Kiffin did not call his boss and quit. Davis and Kiffin did not break their verbal impasse of several weeks, either.

But the conversation at Raiders camp Monday was loud and clear. Think chaos. Or walls crumbling.

In a scene more common at a weigh-in for two lusty heavyweights, a Raiders executive seated in the back of the press room interrupted a San Jose Mercury News columnist questioning Kiffin about reports that team officials recently distributed an ESPN article critical of the head coach.

Kawakami stared at Kiffin and persisted: ” … How isolated do you feel in this organization?”

Now, if there was ever a chance for Kiffin to offer Davis a bailout, to leave even the remote impression that he had his owner’s back on internal matters, this was it. And it didn’t happen. And it probably wasn’t ever going to happen, which surely has to be causing Davis more angst than is medically advisable for someone of his advanced age.

The kid is really, really good at this. Kiffin slithers along where few men dare and even fewer survive – under Al’s skin. When he receives that final paycheck, he should immediately take his act to Vegas and hit the poker tables at the Palms. He incited the situation Monday without singing a nasty note, let Al have it simply by leaning into the microphone and lending credibility to the reports. (He knows the reporters. He believes who he believes.)

“I don’t have that feeling of isolation because I go in and my day’s not really different, whether this stuff you’re reporting on is going around, or articles being passed around or anything, that has nothing to do with it,” an impassive Kiffin responded. “Does it help? No. I’m not going to sit up here and lie to you, tell you that it helps, that it brings our team together, that we’re going to bond together like the movie ‘Major League,’ like somebody told me. It doesn’t help. But I can’t control it. All I can do is keep our team together.”

In other words, he let Al have it – in essence, exacerbated a situation that has been seething since the offseason. He is daring Davis to fire him for his 5-14 record over these two seasons, defying the owner by reporting to work every day as if the Raiders’ comings and goings were nothing out of the ordinary.

But the Raiders haven’t been ordinary for years. Ordinary implies mediocrity. They haven’t been that good since Rich Gannon. Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan and Norv Turner came and went and endured the daily drama of Davis. Their exploits were worthy of front-page news, though, not the stuff of comic books. This stuff leaves the Silver and Black black and blue. It’s embarrassing, ridiculous, unnecessary.

All of which leads back to Al. To the ultimate question. What is he waiting for? Congress is threatening to move faster than this. The prospects for peace – and let’s not even delve into the distraction this must be causing his young quarterback – remain nonexistent until the Raiders change coaches and some other sucker takes a shot at the job.

Meantime, even press rooms should limit testosterone levels. Herrera kept at Kawakami (and excoriated other journalists by name) long after Kiffin had left the room, and though the columnist maintained his customary cool, the exchange was unpleasant. For those who missed the highlights, monitor the news outlets. Those Raiders hits keep on coming, certainly faster than the wins.

Lane Kiffins Nikes

I think they should do a Dirty Jobs inside the Raiders HQ.

Lane Kiffins Nikes

The keep using the word Chaos…..I wonder why?

Lane Kiffins Lips

So we need a D-Tackle….Is Warren available?

K-Rock

I know some common ground they could find.

AL COULD FIRE ROB RYAN.

That is how all this crap got started. If Al lets Kiffin send Rob packing at the end of last year, they would be laughing, high-fiving one another, and enjoying a 3-0 start to the season.

Florida Pete

Tuesday… 12:41 pm eastern time…

time to fire kiffie !!!!

Patron Silver

K-Rock Your right . I been saying for the last four years that Ryan has no idea what the hell he’s doing. He only looks like a raider with a fat belly and the long hair, and everybody thought he was great, one person in particular, who use to give a hard time, when I blogged under Casper, by the way I have not seen a post from him in awhile, Terrapin where are you now ?

R8R4FER

I’m sure Hall is investing in a asbestos jersey this week after watching the MNF game last night. But, I doubt even that will stop him from getting torched like an untrimmed tri tip in the parking lot tailgate.

Herrera has got to go.
i’m thinkin’ that this goon sits w/ Al, hears him(Al) spew some unrealistic ideas, (ie. fire the kid) and then turns it over to the media, thinking he is doing his job. What a tool.
I don’t like tim K., but I believe he rec’d a copy of that article last week.
This guy is a Judas to the Raiders org, and needs to realize that Al is out of his mind! Maybe Herrera should start hanging out w/ Tim and Jerry on there “smoke breaks” and calm the f*#k down, and stop perpetuating this circus….

Hobs Gnarly

I suggested it in #517 and didn’t get a response, but what about Millen as GM? He’s one of us,Al if your looking I’m sure he is gonna be available real soon. None of this front office crap will be an issue, because no one is going to mess with him.

Dakota

Lane Kiffins Nikes Says:
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:24 am
I think they should do a Dirty Jobs inside the Raiders HQ.
____________________________________________________

I can see it now:

Mike Rowe: I am here today at the headquarters of the Oakland Raiders and with me is John Herrera. John, I hear you have a dirty job for me?

John: Yeah, you could say that Mike. Come with me into Al Davis’ office.

John: Mr. Davis, I am here with Mike Rowe of the Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs, do you remember me telling you about this?

Davis: What? No, does it have something to do with Marcus Allen?

John: No Mr. Davis, he is just going to help me change your diaper and wring out the Sham Wow we put on your lap.

Davis: Whatever. Did you have that Kawakami killed yet, I am so…

John: Mr. Davis, please, we can talk about that later!

Davis: Oh, alright. Go ahead.

Mike Rowe: Okay John what is the first step, and should I wear protection?

John: Here are the latex gloves we use and I would suggest stripping down to your undershirt and underwear.

Mike Rowe: Why on Earth do I have to strip down to my undershirt and underwear?

John: Just do it Mike, Mr. Davis likes it that way, so that is the way it is done! What, are you afraid or something? Are you a smoke pot, smoke pot….do you know Tim Kawakami?

Mike Rowe: What? Yeah I smoke pot, but I don’t know any Kawakami’s. Come on let’s just get on with this.

John: Okay, first you need to get him up on the desk.

Mike Rowe: Okay Mr. Davis, here we go! Wow, you are pretty light…kind of like lifting a bag of bones.

Al Davis: I can still kick your azz you little…

John: Okay, okay, lets just get on with this….here is a shovel, you might need it; he ate some prunes last night.

Mike Rowe: Thanks, I think. Okay, let’s get this jumpsuit off of you….okay, wow…what a mess. How much do they pay you to do this type of work John?

John: $35 dollars a day…no vacation, but I love it!

Mike Rowe: Should I have a respirator or something?

John: No, this is all natural, but watch your eyes and close your mouth, sometimes he sharts.

Mike Rowe: Okay, he is changed, where do I put this dirty diaper?

John: We have a laundry shoot that runs directly into Lance Kiffin’s office.

Mike Rowe: Oh man, what did he deserve to get that poop storm every couple of hours?

John: Long story Mike, and frankly, I am not all that sure as to the reasons, but Mr. Davis wants it that way, so it will be that way.

The offense needs to stay conservative and run the ball and we need to incorporate alot more screen plays for Mcfadden and Bush. That would slow down so much of the blitzing teams do against us. Defensively we need to play like the Eagles, relentless! Use all the defensive players we have available to pressure the qb and hit people in the mouth! We have to be the intimidaters in the division once again.